Allied Health Professions
Faculty/Staff
Arthur Schwarz, Chair, Department of Biology
Amy McHenry, Advisor, Department of Biology
Program
Allied Health professions encompass a wide variety of fields that assist in the rapidly growing health care segment of the economy. Over half of all workers in health care belong to one of the many allied health professions. They perform technical and diagnostic work in laboratories or provide direct therapeutic care to patients. Some, as in the fields of nutrition and dietetics, are also involved in health maintenance or with the administration of health care.
Southwestern offers A.S. and B.S. degrees that, in cooperation with Andrews University, Loma Linda University, and Tarleton State University in Texas, prepare one for various health careers. Southwestern’s programs include:
- Medical Lab Science (B.S.): affiliated with Andrews University and Tarleton State University
- Pre-Physical Therapy: degree or non-degree programs
- Pre-Allied Health: a flexible two-year Associate of Science degree that will prepare students to apply to Loma Linda University in such fields as:
- Communication Sciences & Disorders
- Dental Hygiene
- Health Information Administration
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Respiratory Care
Medical Laboratory Science
Southwestern Adventist University offers a Bachelor of Science degree (131-138 semester hours) in Medical Laboratory Science. This degree is offered in affiliation with Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, Texas or Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. The first three years are completed at the Southwestern Adventist University campus. The fourth year (12-14 months) of the program consists of clinical training to be completed at one of the affiliated hospital-based programs. Tarleton State University starts classes in July and January and may require additional prerequisite classes such as physics and biochemistry. Andrews University classes start in June. The program is accredited by the Council on Allied Health Education and Accreditation in conjunction with the National Accrediting Agency for Medical Laboratory Science.
Each student must apply to the hospital training program of his/her choice, preferably early in the junior year. Acceptance into the Southwestern Adventist University program and declaration as a Medical Laboratory Science major does not imply that the student will be accepted for the senior clinical year by an affiliated hospital program. The student is encouraged to maintain a science and an overall grade point average of 3.0 (on a four-point scale) or higher. The criteria for student selection by an affiliated hospital institution include scholastic ability, completed application materials, letters of reference, and a personal interview. At least 32 of the last 38 semester hours of academic work taken prior to the senior clinical year must be taken in residence at Southwestern Adventist University. Sixteen of the 32 hours must be science courses. English as a Second Language courses are not applicable toward residency.
Medical Laboratory Science, B.S.
| BIOL 111, 112 | General Biology | 8 |
| BIOL 180 | Biology Research Seminar | 1 |
| BIOL 220 | Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 280 | Biology Research Statistics | 1 |
| BIOL 320 | Genetics | 4 |
| MATH 121 | Precalculus | 3 |
| CHEM 111, 112 | General Chemistry | 8 |
| CHEM 231, 232 | Organic Chemistry | 8 |
| CSIS | Computer Elective | 3 |
| Total: | 40 |
Recommended Cognates: PHYS 121, 122; CHEM 221, 431, 432.
Senior Year- Clinical training at an affiliated hospital institution. Courses as listed by the Andrews University Program:
| CLSC 230 | Fundamentals of Clinical Microbiology | 3 |
| CLSC 250 | Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry | 3 |
| CLSC 260 | Fundamentals of Human Blood Biology | 3 |
| CLSC 320 | Principles of Immunology | 3 |
| CLSC 400 | Specimen Procurement & Processing & Lab | 2 |
| CLSC 401 | Seminar I | 0 |
| CLSC 402 | Seminar II | 0 |
| CLSC 411 | Hematology & Lab | 3 |
| CLSC 412 | Hemostasis | 1 |
| CLSC 413 | Clinical Hematology & Hemostasis Practicum | 4 |
| CLSC 421 | Clinical Immunology & Lab | 2 |
| CLSC 423 | Clinical Immunology Practicum | 1 |
| CLSC 431 | Clinical Microbiology & Lab | 4 |
| CLSC 432 | Special Microbiology & Lab | 2 |
| CLSC 433 | Clinical Microbiology Practicum | 5 |
| CLSC 441 | Immunohematology & Lab | 3 |
| CLSC 442 | Transfusion Medicine & Lab | 1 |
| CLSC 443 | Clinical Immunohematology Practicum | 4 |
| CLSC 451 | Clinical Chemistry & Lab | 4 |
| CLSC 452 | Clinical Chemistry & Body Fluids & Lab | 2 |
| CLSC 453 | Clinical Chemistry Practicum | 5 |
| CLSC 460 | Clinical Laboratory Systems | 2 |
| CLSC 463 | Clinical Microscopy Practicum | 1 |
| CLSC 495 | Independent Study Project | 1 |
| Total: | 59 |
Pre-Physical Therapy
There are two paths available. The first involves completing a B. S. degree in programs such as Exercise Science or Biology, which include many of the prerequisites for admission to doctoral programs in Physical Therapy. Alternatively, one may undertake a three-year program of prerequisites that will prepare a student to transfer to Andrews’ or Loma Linda’s Physical Therapy programs.
For information on Andrews University’s program go to http://www.andrews.edu/cas/pt/
For information on Loma Linda University’s program go to http://www.llu.edu/allied-health/sahp/pt/index.page
Allied Health Foundations
This program provides an efficient path for students who wish to apply to the School of Allied Health Professions at Loma Linda University for a baccalaureate degree in one of several allied health fields. A student at Southwestern will complete the 64-hr Associate of Science degree. The requirements for this degree are found on page 49 of this Bulletin.
With the guidance of an Allied Health advisor, the student will complete the courses that meet the entrance requirements of the program to which they seek entrance. The web portal will provide each student and advisor with a detailed degree audit of the admissions requirements for the particular program. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 or even higher is necessary in order to be competitive for acceptance at most clinical allied health programs at Loma Linda. No grade lower than a “C” can be transferred to another program.
Information on various allied health careers can be found at Loma Linda University’s School of Allied Health Professions website: http://www.llu.edu/allied-health/index.page